Tyronn Lue explains why he's sticking with J.R. Smith as a starter

On paper, some may wonder why new arrival Rodney Hood isn’t starting at shooting guard instead of J.R. Smith, who’s had an up-and-down season on both ends of the floor. However, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue is a firm believer that when Smith is making shots, he transforms their team.

Need an example? Look no further than his performance in the 2016 NBA Finals.

“If it wasn’t for JR in ’16 making those eight straight points coming out in the third quarter, we don’t win the championship,” Lue said after practice Monday. “People saying quit on JR, give up on JR, it’s not right.”

“Sometimes your shot is going to come and go, that’s just part of the game,” Lue said. “For the most part, his effort is there every night. That’s why I wanted to stick with JR and I don’t want to lose JR. Make sure keep him in good spirits, going in the right direction. He’s big for us. When he’s making shots, when he’s being aggressive, our team is a whole different team.”

It’s worth pointing out that Lue also chose to stick with Smith in the starting lineup in order to keep the emotional shooting guard’s spirits up. It’s less than ideal that it’s something Lue feels is something he has to do to keep Smith on track but it does show Lue’s understanding of his players’ psyches and egos.

It’s reminiscent of Lue’s decision to start Dwyane Wade at the beginning of the season. A decision made in part because of Wade’s illustrious career and the fact he had never been a bench player but also because, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, he knew it wouldn’t work and just needed Wade to see it too.

For Smith’s part, he’s improved his game as of late. Shooting 39.5 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from three-point range this season, he’s shooting 53.3 percent from the field and 51.5 percent from three-point range in February (5 games). His offensive rating of 127 is the highest it’s been any month this season.

To add, Lue is right about Smith’s shooting transforming their team.

In their 22 losses, Smith has shot just 32.1 percent from the field and 29.8 percent from three-point range. with an offensive rating of 85. In their 32 wins, Smith has shot 44.6 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from three-point range with an offensive rating of 113.